The term “flat panel display device” refers to an electronic display in which a large orthogonal array of display elements, such as liquid-crystal (e.g., LCD) or electro luminescent (e.g., plasma) elements, form a flat screen. The term “flat-panel display” is somewhat deceptive in that it is the thinness of the display that is the paramount characteristic. In the past, both television sets and computer monitors commonly utilized cathode-ray tubes. This technology can never be very thin (relative to flat panel display devices) in that cathode ray tubes generate light via the process of cathodoluminescence. In this process, a high-energy electron beam is scanned across a screen covered with an inorganic phosphor. Substantial tube depth is necessary to allow the electron beam to be magnetically or electrostatically scanned across the entire screen.
Flat panel monitors and televisions, including LCD and plasma display units, have become increasingly popular. Among other advantages related to flat screen technology, LCD and plasma displays are packaged in units having greatly reduced weight and housing depth (as opposed to earlier CRT display devices). Reduced weight and depth dimensions enable placement and use of flat panel display devices in rooms where limited space would obviate the use of conventional CRT technology.
The aforementioned reduced weight and depth of flat panel display devices has enabled such monitors and televisions to be mounted, via wall mount systems in convenient areas of a room. Many such wall mounting systems are now available to suit a myriad of mounting needs. In addition to wall mounting, LCD and plasma flat panel monitors and televisions may also be mounted upon what is best described as a pedestal mount. Such mounting systems enable the flat panel to be supported by a table or other flat surface located beneath the display.
In order to facilitate the production of various wall, ceiling and pedestal type mounts for flat screen displays, manufacturers of flat panel display devices have subscribed to a mounting configuration convention wherein a receiving plate, especially configured and adapted for receipt of mounting bolts is located on the back panel of such devices. The diameter of such mounting holes, as well as the location and distance between such holes is set forth in a standard known as the VESA standard.
A majority of flat panel monitors and televisions are now compliant with the VESA standard. The VESA standard calls for an industry mounting interface standard. More specifically, the VESA standard requires a specific hole pattern on the back of the monitor, screen or display. This standardized hole pattern enables wall, desktop or ceiling mounts having a corresponding hole pattern, to properly align with and be affixed to VESA compliant flat screen monitors and televisions. The VESA standard mounting hole patterns that are presently utilized may be summarized as follows: For smaller and medium flat panels, LCD monitors and television displays being from 12″ to 22.9″ diagonal, and falling in a weight range up to 30.8 lbs (14 kg), the hole pattern is: 75 mm×75 mm or 100 mm×100 mm (2.95″×2.95″ or 3.94″×3.94″). Larger monitors with viewing screen from 23″ to 30.9″ diagonally, and a weight range up to 50 lbs: utilized a VESA standard of 200 mm×100 mm and 200 mm×200 mm. In regard to LCD and plasma displays having a diagonal measurement of from 31″ to 90″, and a weight not greater than 250 lbs, various hole patterns—all having 200 mm increments—are utilized such as, for example: 400 mm×200 mm, or 600 mm×400 mm, or 800 mm×400 mm
The term “VESA” refers to “Video Electronics Standards Association” which is an international non-profit corporation. The corporation promotes and develops timely, relevant, open standards for the display and display interface industry, ensuring interoperability and encouraging innovation and market growth. The standards provided by VESA provide specific guidelines of the mounting hole pattern placement—as described above—screw size, and guidelines for the mounting pad or mounting apparatus to be utilized by equipment manufacturers based on a the size of the screen and monitor's weight.
Flat screen display devices are becoming the major display format for viewing television, recorded movies and video gaming. Although many flat panel monitors and televisions now include built-in speakers, such often provide sub-optimal sound production. However, the majority of such devices include “audio out” terminals to which external speakers may be attached. Utilizing external speakers with flat panel displays provides two major advantages in regard to built in sound systems. Firstly, higher quality speakers may be utilized which produce better sound and expanded frequency range. Secondly, external speakers may be positioned, in regard to the display, so as to optimize stereo separation while also producing sound which seems to be coming directly from the source depicted upon the screen (rather than producing sound which seems to come, for example, from below the action).
Mounting systems have been produced for affixing external speakers to flat panel televisions and monitors. However, such mounting systems have been limited in providing limited adjustment as to the position of the speaker in relation to the display. Also, heretofore, no speaker mounting system has been disclosed which easily and securely mounts to the majority of flat panel televisions and monitors. It would be highly advantageous if a speaker mounting apparatus, especially adapted for mounting speakers to a flat panel display would be provided wherein the apparatus enables adjustment of external speaker position in regard to six parameters including: speaker separation, speaker height, speaker depth, upward/downward speaker angulation and inboard/outboard speaker angulation and left/right tilt (canting). It would be further advantageous if such an apparatus included a means to affix the device to a flat panel television or monitor utilizing the VESA standard mounting holes provided in the majority of such display devices.
Recently, their has been an industry wide trend towards designing, configuring, producing and marketing flat panel televisions demonstrating extremely diminutive depth dimensions. Although such “slimmer and thinner” flat panels displays have been and continue to be esthetically pleasing (as well as highly marketable), the resulting decrease in flat panel cabinet depth and the limitations created thereby, has greatly effected the placement of quality speakers within such cabinets. Simply put, the extremely thin speakers that can be mounted within such reduced depth cabinets are often inferior in sound quality when compared to larger speaker units that were previously placed in the previous generation of flat panel televisions having greater depth dimensions. The term “flat panel depth dimension” when utilized throughout this application and within the claims refers to the distance from the front surface (the viewing surface wherein an image is provided) of a flat panel monitor or television and the back panel of such devices wherein VESA mounting holes are located.
It is well known that superior sound can be provided for such reduced depth flat panel display televisions via the use of a series of external speakers mounted at various locations within the viewing area—often utilizing an external amplifier for increased sound production. However, there is a need for a simpler means of attaining enhanced sound performance from such reduced depth flat panel displays without necessitating the mounting of further speakers about the viewing room which may or may not require the use of an external amplifier. Thus, it would be highly desirable to provide a means of easily and simply affixing high quality speakers to the aforementioned “slimmer and thinner” flat panel display devices without need for mounting such speakers remotely from the television or utilizing, in certain embodiments, an external amplifier.